


lost to the flames

by fraxiinus



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Don't read if you like being happy, M/M, One Shot, There is nothing good or happy here this is pretty much straight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-02 23:46:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6588166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fraxiinus/pseuds/fraxiinus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hux’s eyes returned to the rebel ship, as if he could shoot it down with only the power of his sharp gaze. Ren believed that, had he been force-sensitive, perhaps he could have.</p>
<p>Prompt: righteous fury</p>
            </blockquote>





	lost to the flames

**Author's Note:**

> talk to me [on tumblr](http://fraxinus.tumblr.com/) when you're done

“Fire.”

The command came out stern and final, not a hint of hesitation to be found. Hux stared straight ahead, eyes narrowed as he kept the disabled rebel transport ship firmly in his sights, as if it would regain it’s function and escape his clever grasp. The atmosphere on the bridge was rife with a tension so palatable Ren felt it pressing into him like an unwanted embrace, suffocating and overwhelming. He stood behind Hux as he had since he could remember, a silent presence watching the general - _his_ general - order death to yet another rebel ship with the unfortunate fate of crossing the Finalizer’s path. Hux’s stood at parade rest in the middle of the room, hands clasped in tight fists and posture stiff as a board, yet despite Hux’s command there was a pause. Not a single person on the bridge seemed to be breathing.

Hux’s eyes pulled from the rebel ship and, without losing a sliver of their ferocious intent, landed on Mitaka, who seemed to be taking great lengths to not flinch under the gaze that now bore into him. “That was _an order_ , Mitaka.”

Ren could sense the lieutenant gathering his bravery form deep inside him, could see the way his posture straightened, steeling his face in a way that Hux used to, making his fear with a demeanor of professionalism that the general himself had since abandoned. He was beginning to change, Ren had noticed in the past several months, beginning to model himself after the Hux that no longer seemed to exist. The leader. “Sir, they’ve surrendered. Someone on that ship may have valuable intel, I think it would be more effective to-“

“ _Mitaka_ ,” Hux near-bellowed, causing the lieutenant to jump and snap his mouth shut mid sentence, his feedback indicating a spiked heart rate and a surge of instinctual fear. The tension in the room rippled, every soul on the bridge set newly on edge by the general’s raised voice. “I don’t care if there are _thousands_ of people on that damned rebel ship, remember your rank or I will have you discharged for insubordination. I said _fire_.”

This time there was no hesitation as numerous officers began punching code into their consoles, spurred into action. Hux’s eyes returned to the rebel ship, as if he could shoot it down with only the power of his sharp gaze. Ren believed that, had he been force-sensitive, perhaps he could have.

Mitaka’s head was down, his cap casting a shadow over his eyes. “Firing,” he said, voice smaller than before as he entered the command code. A ray of light came into view from the left of the bridge, shooting forward, unstoppable, before making contact with the rebel ship and tearing through it with a unrelenting ferocity, like an animal ripping apart it’s prey. The light of the resulting explosion flooded the bridge and caught in Hux’s eyes, reflecting the barely restrained bloodlust hidden beneath. Finally, after the fire had gone and all that was left was debris and dust, the bridge fell silent.

Previously, there would be a small air of celebration at a battle won, perhaps a few congratulations at another rebel ship wiped from the war, but now all that followed the victory was near silence, all heads down and focused on their work. It was the second ship they had destroyed in the week alone. Bringing on prisoners was now such a rare occurrence some troopers had begun to suspect they may repurpose the interrogation rooms into battle simulators. It had been this way for months, the joy of victories muddled as their general had grown more merciless, the officers having grown more distant and solemn. They knew the Supreme Leader was growing more impatient with the Order’s progress, but Ren could still sense their unease at the new ruthless tactics, despite their understanding.

They all remembered what the rebellion had cost them already.

Ren hated it. Hated seeing Hux that way, more gaunt and pale than he had been in years. He longed to reach out and gently unfurl Hux’s hands from where they hid clenched behind his back, to heal the gashes too numerous to count. Hux’s habit of digging his nails into the tender flesh of his palms had now resulted in more blood than Ren had seen him shed since they met all those years ago, young and naive soldiers balancing their obvious ambitions with their secret need for connection.

They had found that connection in each other, back then. It seemed to Ren now that he couldn’t recall a single memory that didn’t somehow involve Hux, in person or in thought. 

When he was satisfied with viewing the aftermath of his destruction Hux turned on his heel, barking an order for Mitaka to take control of the bridge while he retired to his quarters. As always Ren followed, two steps behind, the constant shadow to his general’s fiery light. Corridor after corridor passed with officers and troopers alike standing quickly to attention as they passed, conversations cut in mid-sentence, one unfortunate officer nearly dropping his data pad in his frenzy to assume proper form. 

It hadn’t taken long for rumors to travel through the ranks in hushed whispers that the general had been overcome with bloodlust, that the recent losses and rebel advances had sparked something feral and deadly within him. Even on the levels where Hux never tread, the crew looked over their shoulder, as if he could come through any moment to asses their work and would throw them out of the airlock if it wasn’t satisfactory.

Hux had never done such a thing, of course, but that didn’t stop the fear. _He’s human_ , they would say, _you can only lose so much before you snap_.

Finally they reached Hux’s rooms, the doors sliding closed nearly on Ren’s heel after they entered. Hux went straight to his desk, shrugging off his greatcoat and placing it over the back of his desk chair, removing his gloves and cap and setting them neatly on the desk. Ren watched, feeling helpless for not the first time since all of this began. Nothing he did seemed to quell the inferno burning inside of Hux, not a word, not a touch. No matter how much he tried to help, to reach out, there was something simmering within the general now that couldn’t be extinguished. It burned so bright it threatened to consume him and the entire galaxy with it.

It broke Ren’s heart to watch the shift in his general. He knew that once before Hux had wanted to rule the galaxy, but now when Ren tried to see into his mind all he could see were the flames, turning all in their path to ash.

“Hux,” Ren whispered, eyes averted, already defeated, and Hux did not turn. Instead he retrieved something from his desk and sat on the side of his bed, hunched away from Ren, the curve of his back so unlike the rigid posture he maintained on duty. Ren wondered if it hurt him, to bend in such a way when he was normally so firm, but was more focused on what Hux was holding and the spark of rage it ignited within him. Gripped between Hux’s pale, beautiful hands was the damned mask that Ren had come to despise. It represented everything he now realized he had never wanted. Snoke, the Order, power, the dark side. Looking back, he had only ever truly felt like he belonged when he was in bed with Hux, feeling his warm breath ghosting over his neck, tracing the constellations of his freckles and committing them to memory as best he could.

Ren turned to look at Hux now, sadness and desperation etched into his features after months of trying to break through to no avail. “Hux-“

“They’ll suffer,” came the words from Hux’s mouth, cutting him off. Ren stilled, breathless with hope that perhaps he had finally heard, taking a step forward to climb on the bed behind his lover. He could see that Hux was shaking, his knuckles gone white around the helmet, the arch of his back growing as he leaned farther over it fighting his barely contained emotion. When he spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper, cracked and pained in a way he had never shown anyone before, not even Ren. “ _They’ll suffer for what they took from us_.”

“ _Hux_ ,” Ren whispered, broken, finally reaching out to wrap his arms around him from behind. Hux would destroy himself on this path, Ren knew. The fire inside of him that would destroy everything was relentless. It was devastating to watch his shining general fall so far to the savagery he once succumbed to himself, that blinded him until it was far too late. “Hux, _please_.”

But sitting alone in his quiet room, Hux felt nothing.


End file.
